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Vision Literacy and a Modern Home Tour

My friend Candace Levers is a board member of Vision Literacy, a local non-profit in Silicon Valley. Vision Literacy provides adults with basic literacy and technology skills.

Through its operations in Gilroy, San Jose, Sunnyvale and other Silicon Valley communities, Vision Literacy has provided adults with basic literacy and technology skills for over 25 years. Its students acquire vital reading, writing, speaking and listening tools, allowing them to become better parents, employees, business owners and citizens.Many of us take for granted our ability to interact with each other and our communities at large on a daily basis, despite it being so essential. Whether speaking with our child’s teachers, applying for a job or simply asking for directions, our success and happiness is, to a large extent, determined by our ability to effectively communicate with others. – See more at: http://www.visionliteracy.org/#sthash.CSKs6wDM.dpuf

Through its operations in Gilroy, San Jose, Sunnyvale and other Silicon Valley communities, Vision Literacy has provided adults with basic literacy and technology skills for over 25 years. Its students acquire vital reading, writing, speaking and listening tools, allowing them to become better parents, employees, business owners and citizens.Many of us take for granted our ability to interact with each other and our communities at large on a daily basis, despite it being so essential. Whether speaking with our child’s teachers, applying for a job or simply asking for directions, our success and happiness is, to a large extent, determined by our ability to effectively communicate with others. – See more at: http://www.visionliteracy.org/#sthash.CSKs6wDM.dpuf

Its students acquire vital reading, writing, speaking and listening tools, allowing them to become better parents, employees, business owners and citizens.

This past weekend, Vision Literacy was the sole beneficiary of the Silicon Valley Modern Home Tour. I volunteered at one of the show homes in Menlo Park, greeting tour patrons, selling tickets and imaging what it would be like to actually live in the Spiegel home.

Home Exterior

Spiegel Home: Porch, pool and water wise grass

Our local paper featured the Menlo Park home with the headline: Just call it stunning. I couldn’t agree more. Vast walls of glass and large windows brought the outdoors in. Walls covered in cedar, simple lines, open ceilings and slate floors felt breezy and comfortable. Native grasses, trees, shrubs and flowers surround the entire house, blurring the lines between inside and out.

Entryway

Walls of books and glass

Did I mention the windows?

More windows

In affluent Menlo Park, property is at a premium. They build houses close together. Yet the entire time I was there it felt like an oasis. The use of trees, a ‘wall’ of bamboo, and the home’s placement on the lot, all contributed to a sense of privacy while retaining the open plan.

Master Suite: Simple interiors invite the eye outdoors.

Landscape: This patio is outside the dining area, Dogwood tree at entrance

One of the super-cool features of the Spiegel house is the four-story tower. Each floor has a landing with glass walls, a small bedroom and a corresponding bathroom. The bottom floor is a seating area and the top floor is an exterior, roof-top balcony. The rest of the house is all on one floor.

Rooftop Patio: The perfect spot to watch the sun set. Cozy when seated, with expansive views

Architect Dan Spiegel, grew up in the home originally on the lot. He designed the home for his parents, who moved in a year ago. Dan was on site to answer questions during the tour, along with his wife and business partner, landscape designer Megumi Aihara. It was a pleasure meeting these talented, down-to-earth people.

Megumi Aihara and Dan Spiegel

You can learn more about the house and gardens by taking a virtual tour at Low/Rise House/Spiegel. Pictures include floor plans and elevations.

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14 thoughts on “Vision Literacy and a Modern Home Tour”

You gals are super nice community spirits. Wonderful to volunteer for the event. Candace too! Congratulations to you both for that. The interiors remind me a little of our old house. It was all wood inside too. While I’m not keen on the minimal look, with linear lines and lack of a decorative facade, I do appreciate this style for it’s ability to bring the outside in. Beautifully landscaped too.

I think it is always fun to peek inside other folks houses – especially when they are different to our own…. However, I usually find I return home with a feeling of grace for my own wee pad and all it’s blessings – did you too? I echo Boomdee’s statement – applause for volunteering! A worthy cause and a wonderful community activity all rolled into one 🙂 Hurrah!

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I'm passionate about gardening, organizing, blogging and cats. I live in Silicon Valley, California with my husband of 22 years and two almost-grown sons. Our feline family varies. The current count is three.